Podolyanka's Finishes 2020

[Podolyanka]

Word-for -word translation of our response is "He is truly risen". How did you know that our two languages have the same phrase?

[Mabel Figworthy]

I can just about "read" the cyrillic alphabet, and I looked up the phrases in several languages to use in our church's newsletter (which I write/edit) a few Easters ago

[Serinde]

Beautiful stitching, of course, and my expectations are always exceeded.

Back last century when I learned Russian in middle school, we were taught the Easter responses by our teacher (originally from Minsk, I think) and I got the impression is was a slightly subversive thing, the USSR being officially atheist. How things change, eh.

[poppy]

It is a beautiful Easter towel, Lyudmila. The design is very well "balanced"( I mean symmetrical) and the colours are definitively spring colours.
Already another beautiful finish for 2020!

[Podolyanka]

it was a slightly subversive thing, the USSR being officially atheist.

There was double moral in everything. I must have told about St. Nickolas' Day- officially it did not exist, but all kids, those of party bosses included, would find presents from St. Nickolas under their pillows in the morning of December19 (only in Western Ukraine, as the East had been under Russia for centuries, so lost this holiday). November1 is All Saints' Day (in Western Ukraine!) , when everybody, party bosses of reginal level included, would go to the cemeteries and lit candles and put flowers on the graves of their relatives or friends. And most of people would also lit candles and bring flowers to graves of local heroes, unknown soldiers, etc.
Soviet Union was atheist, but most of people were christened(at night, secretly, a clergyman was brought to the house and that was all the atheism).

As kids, my friend and I would run to the corner of the street and watch oldies carrying Easter baskets to the church to be blessed. We would look at cross stitched towels on those baskets forever. At that time there were only "geometry" patterns (wide and rich- that is stitched completely) on both ends and a small cross in the middle. All the towels were different- I mean the patterns. The wording could be or not there. All these flowers and eggs- they are all from modern designers.
In the Soviet Union there was no Christmas, but carrolers would walk from house to house, especially in villages, and everybody knew at least a few carrols. There was no Easter officially, but there was no household without Easter bread and painted eggs on the day. Personally I was taught to paint eggs when I was 6yo. My kids were taught various techniques of painting eggs at school(after the collapse of the USSR).

[poppy]

Thank you for your explanation, Lyudmila. It does show the resilience of the human spirit. Very inspiring...

[fccs]

Absolutely beautiful finishes!!!

[luv2craft2]

Both are beautifully worked. And you have done well with the backstitching, I dislike that too but it does bring life to a picture. Well done

[Podolyanka]

WIP as of tinight
Janlynn's "Lighthouses". The first needs only BS. There are 5 more lighthouses to stitch in this design. The Aida is 11ct, so stitches are large and the right hand and arm hurt by the end of the day. Again, the phone cant show all the brightness and beauty of the colours and their play.

[Squirrel]

Firstly Lyudmyla thank you so much for the reminder of the history in your part of the world regarding Easter etc - very interesting to read and refresh what is stuffed in this old head of mine.

I love this design with all its flowers and colours and as always beautifully stitched.

The lighthouse one is shaping up to be another heirloom piece and you are certainly making good progress with it. I look forward to seeing more of it in due course.

[Mabel Figworthy]

I like the way they've captured the rolling movement of the waves - lovely work as always!

[rcperryls]

I love light houses and you are doing a beautiful job stitching this one. Can't wait to see what the others look like. And like Mabel

I like the way they've captured the rolling movement of the waves - lovely work as always!

Carole

[fccs]

Beautiful lighthouse!! Will you be framing them together? I can't wait to see more.

[Podolyanka]

On the one end of a tablerunner there will be Janlynn's Lighhouses(6), on the other end- Janlynn's "Serenity Lighthouse". So no framing.

[fccs]

On the one end of a tablerunner there will be Janlynn's Lighhouses(6), on the other end- Janlynn's "Serenity Lighthouse". So no framing.

Oh boy, I can't wait to see it!

[Midge]

Oooh, ilovea lighthouse. Great idea as a table runner, can’t wait to see it progress x

[poppy]

Beautiful work, as always, Lyudmila. I love the colours of the sea, contrasting with the shades of orange, red and white.

[Podolyanka]

Thank you for your kind comments, Ladies. I have finished the second lighthouse, its hut and rocks included and "have built" the rocky platform for the third! Amnt I crazy?

[rcperryls]

Amnt I crazy?

I haven't noticed anything unusual or different from the rest of us.

Carole

[Podolyanka]

Today being Saturday, spiders must have made a party somewhere in the farthest corner as instead of chasing them, I was translating all the morning, and then decided I had earned an hour of stitching. That "hour" ended half an hour ago( it is 9.47pm Kyiv time here- we are 2 hours ahead of Britain). It is all very well, but who will do all the BS? The one on The Fisherman's Dream was a nursery rhyme as compared to this project, But then here it is all ordinary BS, no long stitches, no artist's vision required.